Sports Wrapups: Aug. 28

Shorewood boys cross country

Returning letterwinners are either hurt or not running well so newcomers have had to fill in the gaps.

That's no matter to the Greyhounds, who opened their season with a victory in their own Early Season meet at Kern Park on Aug. 23.

"Nice job at the early season meet," said Greyhound coach Dominic Newman. "I'm still trying to break down the results and compare times from previous years. We are a very deep team. Positions will change throughout the season. … It was nice to see so many people step up when you others may not being having a great race.

"It was unusual to see four state returners not on the varsity and still sneak in a win over Marquette. This shows how deep we are."

The Greyhounds, who were third in the WIAA State D2 meet last fall, scored 48 points for their title in the 11-school Early Season meet, which was seven points ahead of D1 power Marquette (55).

On a warm day, Charlie Stahl led the way on the 5,000-meter course, taking fourth in 17:32, while other scoring runners included Thomas Treacy in ninth (18:01), Sam Kuhlmann 10th (18:03), Jack Mauer 12th (18:13) and Dan Vrobel 13th (18:15).

Newcomers Alex McKowski (14th, 18:18), Johnnie Papineau (18th, 18:33) as well as John Traudt (22nd) also contributed to the effort.

A total of 31 runners competed for Shorewood in the meet, which was a record according to Newman.

State meet veterans who did not run varsity this day, but who will still look to contribute as the season goes along include Jacob Goldberg, John Papke, Mayan Essak and Michael Dellutri.

The Greyhounds will take part in the Homestead Highlander Invite at Tendick Park in Saukville on Friday.

Nicolet cross country

Fresh off her state track placewinning effort in the 3,200 meters, senior Lauren Cunningham turned in a dominant effort in winning the senior race in the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational at Rotary Park on Aug. 23.

"Lauren looked great," said Knight coach Mike McKenna. "She ran really strong today, doing what she needed to do. She worked on her upper-body strength and did a lot of miles over the summer."

Cunningham, who was 46th in last year's state meet, will lead a 22-woman team and will likely get help from seniors Aly and Kristen Maling, sophomore Hilary Novak and freshman Katie Novak.

She was clocked in 15:15 on the 4,000-meter Rotary Park course to well outdistance the runner-up from Tosa East who was 38 seconds behind her.

Miller was also 23rd of 74 in the junior race (18:43).

In the boys competition, the Knights two top finishes as junior Chris Welker was second of 78 in his race, covering the 5,000-meters in 17:43 while in the sophomore race, Aaron Zetley was third of 75 in 18:08.

"But we're still so young," said McKenna. "I think our top five this season will go junior, sophomore, sophomore, sophomore, sophomore. We just have so many new kids who are out right now."

Other good efforts included Greg Pigg, who was 17th in the junior race (19:43) and Matthew Levy, who was 19th in the sophomore event (20:38).

The Knights will be at the West Allis Hale Invitational on Friday at 4 p.m.

Homestead boys cross country

It's been awhile since the Highlanders have been in position to seriously challenge for a North Shore Conference title, but the opportunity is there this year for them, as a veteran team, sprinkled with some young talent put on a nice show at the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational on Aug. 23.

"We'll see, we ran pretty well," said veteran coach Dan Claussen.

The Highlanders will host their own co-ed invite at Tendick Park on Friday. The boys varsity race will be at 5 p.m. and the girls at 5:30 p.m.

Returning senior state meet qualifier Alex Vielmetti will lead the way for Homestead. He is currently not competing due to a code violation but will be eligible shortly. He broke the program's two-mile time trial record the first day of practice.

Other veterans on the 56-person team included seniors Kale Mason, Conner Knuth, Ben Jurenec and Brendan Beschta and sophomore Trevor Cho. A powerful newcomer is a freshman Evan Routhier, the younger brother of former Highlander state track and CC great Nathan Routhier.

"He's really, really good," said Claussen of Routhier. "He's as tall as Nate but bigger and stronger. He also has a physical maturity well beyond his years. He knows what he's doing and already, at this age, he wants to be really, really good."

"That's something you can't coach."

Routhier won the 49-runner freshman race by 19 seconds with an 18:06 time.

Other good efforts included Cho, taking second in the sophomore race (18:04), while in the junior race, Liam Norman was 19th (19:51).

In the senior race, Mason 11th of 99 (17:41), while Knuth was 17th (17:59), Jurenec was 18th (18:15), and Beschta 30th (19:13).

"We have some opportunities," said Claussen.

Shorewood girls cross country

A short-handed Greyhounds team got an individual victory from Abby Pech and took a strong second in their own Early Season Invite at Kern Park on Aug. 23.

"Especially considering we were without senior captain Haley Holan and without a finish from Haley Florsheim (2 of our top 3 runners)," said coach Sarah Kopplin. "To run this well without Holan in the race shows our depth. Haley Florsheim suffered a bit of a reaction to the heat and did not finish the race. She is doing well now. Holan is recovering from a stress fracture in the spring and we want to be cautious and certain prior to racing her."

The Greyhounds scored 65 points for their spot in the 11-school meet as Muskego won with 34.

Pech won by five seconds in defending her title on the 4,000-meter layout in 16:30 while freshman Maggie Florsheim was third (16:40), Mardee Ferone 18th (18:01), Laura Gould 20th (18:09) and Angela Sperry 23rd (18:11).

Also running were freshmen Justine Spore in 27th (18:23) and Lindsey Morris in 44th (18:50).

"The young and new members of the team looked outstanding," said Kopplin. "We have a pretty deep roster, the deepest we have ever had in my career at Shorewood. ….Returning runners from state (last season) performed wonderfully (Sperry, Gould, Ferone, and Morris)."

Shorewood has 41 runners on the roster and had just returned the night before the meet from a three-day training trip to Devil's Lake.

Shorewood/Brown Deer girls tennis

The Greyhounds blanked their Woodland Conference rivals by a 7-0 count on Aug. xx.

All the matches were straight sets except for first singles where the Greyhounds Claudia Deiana beat the Falcons' Katie Zachowski by a 7-6, 1-6, 6-2 score.

Homestead girls volleyball

The Highlanders were gracious hosts to the state's volleyball powers when they served as the site of the annual 24-team Joust event Aug. 24 and 25.

"As an organizational project it was very well coordinated," said Highlander coach Adam Heitzkey. "Our AD would agree with me, as well as the tournament director, that our parents made the biggest difference. Throughout the entire weekend I heard an uncountable amount of comments either directed at me or as I listened in on conversations that alluded to how well the event was run and how organized and energetic all of those involved were."

"This was a tournament that began to be organized in May. Some of the most experienced coaches in the Joust made a point of seeking me out to let me know how much they thought of the event and they can't wait until next year."

Heitzkey also praised the number of junior varsity and freshmen players who also came out to help at the event which featured many high-level NCAA D1 recruits.

The youthful Highlanders with four sophomores and a freshman on the roster went 1-2 in pool play with a nice victory over returning state semifinalist Watertown to its credit before taking tough losses to defending state D2 champ Catholic Memorial and Middleton.

The next day in power pool play, the Highlanders beat St. Thomas More and lost to Pius XI. Then in the white bracket playoffs, Homestead lost a tough three-set match to close out their tourney in a tie for 19th.

Heitzkey still said it was a vast improvement for the team as it did not win a match in the Joust two years ago.

"The Joust offers one thing that no other event in girls volleyball offers and that is an early barometer of where you are and where you need to be by pitting you against the best teams in the state," he said.

Bethany Hansen (second team all-conference 2011) and Monica Caputa (honorable mention 2011) will lead the team. All three middle hitters return including juniors Sydney Hubbell and Sydney Beckers and senior Katie Quinlevan.

The two new setters will be senior Hannah Mandlman and sophomore Margaux Wilson. Others expected to play roles include freshman Allie Beckers and senior libero Kate Caputa.

The Highlanders will be at Nicolet on Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. in a North Shore Conference dual.

North Shore Conference golf

Lauren Smith carded a nine-hole score of 37 to lead the Highlanders to a fine 158 mark and victory in the North Shore Conference mini-meet at North Shore Country Club on Monday.

Cedarburg was second (180) while Nicolet was third (192) and Whitefish Bay fourth (197).

There was another North Shore meet at Ozaukee Country Club on Aug. 29.

Nicolet girls volleyball

Evan with huge graduation losses to deal with, the defending North Shore co-champion Knights are still looking to be contenders this season. They earned a respectable tie for seventh in the 24-school Homestead/St. Thomas More Joust Aug. 24 and 25.

"This is a young, but talented, team," said Knight coach Dann Jacobson. "Returning varsity players include Mallory Kane, Jessica Kloehn, Angie Morello, Elizabeth Heidenrich, and Chloe Choice. Everybody on the team is either new to the team, new to their position or new to their role."

Kloehn is one of the top middle blockers in the area and has committed to the University of Akron.

"I see the strength of this team being the sum of its parts," said Jacobson. "We have excellent chemistry and the players understand that we will need everybody contributing to be successful. We have adopted an African philosophy-ubuntu. It means 'I am what I am because of who we all are.' The philosophy is really about the connection between people and how we need each other and rely on each other."

In the Joust, the Knights came out of pool play with a 2-1 mark, beating both Muskego and Arrowhead. In power pool play, they beat Brookfield Central but lost a tough match to eventual runner-up DSHA. They finished the tournament by falling in the silver division playoffs to Westosha Central.

Nicolet will host Homestead in a North Shore dual on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and then Nicolet will be at the Muskego Invitational on Saturday.

Whitefish Bay girls volleyball

The Blue Dukes got their season formally underway with a solid third place finish in the West Allis Central Invitational on Aug. 25.

"We did a fantastic job playing together and the girls really worked hard for each other," said coach Elizabeth Stecklein. "We had a couple of injuries during the tournament, but we the entire team plays so well with each other that we were still able to play well hard and finish third. I look forward to this season with them.

Stecklein praised the great passing and defense from senior Elizabeth Nortman and sophomore Cassie Elliott along with great leadership from senior captains Lizzie Johnston, Corrina Shymansky, and Chrissy Joachim.

The Blue Dukes will be at defending North Shore co-champions Germantown for a 6:30 p.m. dual meet on Thursday, Aug. 30 and then will be at the Hartford Invitational on Saturday.

Homestead girls cross country

The Highlanders showed good depth in their efforts in the Menomonee Falls Age Group Invitational on Aug. 23.

In the senior race, Homestead got a sixth from Ellen Erpenbeck (17:14 on the 4,000-meter course), while Diana Gertel was 16th (18:42). In the junior competition, Greta Kobylinski was eighth (17:19) while Elizabeth Balistreri was 16th (18:20) and Sarah Clark was 20th (18:47).

On the sophomore level, Ali White was 14th (17:31) while teammate Abby Claussen was right behind her in 15th (17:47).

Anna Keller led the freshmen in 11th (18:47).

Homestead will host its own Highlander Invite on Friday at Tendick Park.

Nicolet boys soccer

The Knights opened their North Shore Conference season with a 3-1 victory over Homestead on Aug. 21 and then dropped a tough 1-0 decision to powerhouse Brookfield Central on Aug. 25.

Nicolet, which hosted Milwaukee Lutheran on Tuesday, got two goals from Brady Behling and another from Westen Groh in the win over Homestead. Nick Sullivan, and co-captains Calvin Knox and Mike Yarmulnik all had assists.

For Homestead, the only goal came from co-captain Adam Nelson with an assist from Hayden Braaten. Jesse Nye tried to keep the hard-charging Knight offense in check with 15 saves.

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